Catechism Links[1]
CCC 551, 765: The call of the Twelve
CCC 541-543: Reign of God calls and gathers Jews and Gentiles
CCC 813-822: Unity of the Church
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| “Calling St. Peter” by Hans Süss von Kulmbach, 1514-16 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Isaiah 8:23-9:3
Commentary on Is 8:23-9:3
This prophetic selection is quoted in St. Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 4:15-16) by Jesus. It is part of the section of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah known as the “Immanuel Prophecies,” in which the oracle of Isaiah addresses the coming of Christ, the Messiah. In this instance it speaks of redemption of the pagan territory near the road to Damascus, and the great blessing that come upon the people and the land as a result.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Commentary on Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14
Psalm 27 is an individual lament. Here, the singer expresses faith in God, who is the refuge of the faithful longing to find ultimate safety and the bounty of God’s heavenly kingdom. This passage from the psalm captures the two major themes: hope in God’s mercy, and complete trust in his goodness. In these strophes, David longs for the Lord’s protection and the gift of life which flows from God's salvation.
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Reading II: 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17
Commentary on 1 Cor 1:10-13, 17
This selection follows the introduction to the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. St. Paul address the first problem on his list, that of the community being divided in loyalties. Although modern scholarship has not been able to completely reconstruct the situation in Corinth, it is clear that some of the members of the faith communities had developed allegiances to the various teachers who helped found the community (e.g. Paul, Apollos, and Cephas (Peter, “the Rock” apparently passed through)). The statement, “I am for Christ,” was probably used ironically since his intent is to remind the community that it is in Christ they are all baptized. Having stated the reasons for his actions, the Apostle now introduces a new topic, the huge difference between the "wisdom" of the world and the Wisdom of God.
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Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23
Commentary on Mt 4:12-23
The events in this Gospel passage take place just following Jesus’ trial in the desert. St. John the Baptist has accomplished his mission in baptizing Jesus and has been arrested. Jesus now takes up his mission, proclaiming the Kingdom of God. He begins by quoting Isaiah 8:22-9:1.The key elements of the mission are laid out as he reveals God’s love.
Following the statement of the mission, the Gospel takes up the call of Peter, Andrew, James and John, all fishermen. Three of these four are considered to be very close to the Lord throughout his ministry. Their response is instructive in that they must give up family and their former way of life to follow the Lord. They go forward from the call, teaching, proclaiming the gospel, and healing. The summary provided serves as an introduction to the Sermon on the Mount which follows in the next section.
CCC: Mt 4:17 1720, 1989; Mt 4:19 878; Mt 4:21 878
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Or
Shorter Form: Matthew 4:12-17
Commentary on Mt 4:12-17
This shorter version of the Gospel omits the call of the first four disciples, Peter, Andrew, James and John (Zebedee’s sons). With this omission, the focus of the Gospel is tightened from one of call and response, to call to repentance based upon the prophetic Isaiah 8:22-9:1 quoted here.
CCC: Mt 4:17 1720, 1989
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Reflection:
We are invited to turn away from the things of this world that demand our attention, and look once more to Christ’s mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. We are reminded that this singular calling must take precedence over the other tasks we are called to fulfill – proclamation of the Kingdom is more important. We are shown today that in this call, we are all equal, called from our Baptism to the same Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We imagine what the Kingdom of God, established on earth, would be like. If we all behaved as Christ taught us, if we all practiced completely and perfectly what we profess to believe, the commandments of God and Jesus, what would the world be like?
First we think of our personal relationships. Those of us who are single would have close friends in the community of faith and those friends could be trusted completely. Because they have that filial love for us, they would share completely in our joys and sorrows and our joy would be amplified; it would become praise for God who is the author of our joy. Our sorrows would be remarkably softened, as the consolation of Christ’s mercy was expressed through our friends as well. For those of us called to share the Sacrament of Matrimony, this sharing would be even more complete as two become constantly one in Christ. They would truly be beacons of love as they exemplify to everyone the love Christ has for his bride, the Church.
We think what it would be like to have a vocation, a job in such a community where each day all our efforts, whether menial or intellectual, would be accomplished for the greater glory of God, and that the greatest satisfaction we could derive from our day’s work would be, not a paycheck, but that the Lord was praised and what he accomplished through us was celebrated. We would rejoice, especially in those menial tasks, because our minds and lips would be free to give praise and glory constantly.
Our lives would be stress-free because all the obstacles we encounter would be immediately given over to the Lord, and while we used the gifts he gave us to overcome them, we would know that he was with us, supporting us, and guiding us through his Holy Spirit.
Finally we think about what our time of solitude would be like. It would be a continuation of the praise that had been on our lips all day but more intense as we opened our silence to hear God’s voice. And there we would hear echoed the love we had been experiencing from our brothers and sisters through their words and actions throughout our day.
Yes, the place described is utopian, the dream of an idealist. But is that not what all Christ’s disciples should be, idealists? Is not the kind of world, the Kingdom of God on earth, exactly what we should be working toward each day?
Today we marvel once more at the great love God has for us in his Son. We hear in his call to Peter, Andrew, James, and John the Lord’s voice calling us to become “fishers of men.” We pray for the strength to answer that call and the discipline to work toward the Kingdom of God on earth.
Pax
In Other Years: Optional Memorial for Saint Vincent, Deacon and Martyr
[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, Published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014
[2] The Picture used today is “Calling St. Peter” by Hans Süss von Kulmbach, 1514-16
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